Food Culture in Greece – Then and Now

Traditionally, local people in Greece would eat a very light breakfast and a late dinner because the largest meal of the day was often lunch. Breakfast would consist of a phyllo pastry, Greek yogurt or fruit, and make way for a typical Greek lunch or mesimeriano that would normally take place in the late afternoon. Mesimeriano was traditionally a family affair. After school finished and shops were closed, a family would sit down to a spread of food including a vegetable stew or casserole, salad, bread, some meat and even wine! Farmers would generally include food items they would produce like fruit, cheese and olives and variants of traditional dishes were a regular occurrence.

As the modern work-day emerged, these eating times shifted and so did the menu. Now a typical Greek lunch includes a Greek salad, and more Greek take-out and delivery style dishes such as gyros or souvlaki sandwiches. With busier schedules and more urban lifestyles came a demand for more convenient foods and a heavier focus on meats.

Late Afternoon / Early Evening

In the days before the modern work-hours Greeks would nap after a mesimeriano and have a Greek coffee with a small dessert.

It’s now more common to see appetizer style dishes such as dolmadakia – grape leaf wraps — filled with lamb, onion, mint and rice being served along aside a glass of Ouzo, a famous anise-flavoured aperitif, after a long work day.

Dinner

For dinner, some dishes include kokoretsi – chopped and grilled goat or lamb with onion and spices. Grilled meats and fish are also always popular items. And of course late night snacks often take the form of the ubiquitous souvlakis and gyros.

At Greek on Wheels, we not only have six locations across Ottawa to serve our Greek food fan base, we also stay open late so you can have fresh and delicious Greek take-out and delivery past 9PM. We understand that people have different work hours, schedules or just prefer to eat later in the evening! Feeling hungry? Order some Greek food take-out now!